My name is Tricia, also known as Nanna Tuu, the walking granny. Well, actually, I’m the author of “Nanna Tuu and the bird that hurt its wing”, which is a children’s story about an old(ish!) woman that has always loved to walk and her life changes when she meets the bird that hurt its wing. You can hear me read the story and get a free download here.

Like Nanna Tuu, I’ve always loved to walk but family, home, work (I’m sure you know that story) never let me get too far. Now that I’m retired and my family’s grown and flown, my horizons have grown, too. Walking gives me the chance to explore those horizons, to visit new places with time enough to see real life and share experiences with real others on my way.

And like Nanna Tuu, I’m still learning about life. One day, many years ago, whilst out walking, I got chatting to a shepherd and his dogs who were herding a huge flock of thousands of sheep. They had walked 800 kilometres to get to their summer grazing grounds. At the end of the summer, he was going to walk 800 kilometres to get home. Years later, that shepherd still comes to mind and I often think about his “walk” and with time I’ve gradually realised that, though there are, like me, a lot of people who love to walk, there are many more people in the world who walk not for pleasure but because they have to, and also many people who would love to walk but can’t.

This walk is dedicated to all those people.

My Walk

For the first time ever, my walk has a name. I’ve usually just called them “my walk” or “my next walk”. This time, my walk has a name: SOS Walk 5 Ways. 

SOS because for the very first time my feet will walk in solidarity instead of only selfish enjoyment (though there’ll be that, too, I don’t deny it!).

SOS because I will walk from Scarborough to York and then just keep on going – to Spain, to Santiago until I stop in Finisterre, the end of the Earth in mediaeval times.

SOS because if you sponsor me on JustGiving (links above), your Solidarity and Sponsorship will Support and help to Save others.

Walk Five Ways because to get to the End of the Earth,  I will link up 5 major walking ways that have existed for thousands of years and have been officially recognised as pilgrim routes since the Middle Ages.

Walk Five Ways because I’ll walk 5 different countries to get there.

And, well, it’s called SOS Walk Five Ways because with your Solidarity, Support, and Sponsorship together with my 3,937,008 Steps (give or take a few, it took me a long time to calculate that!), around three thousand kilometres, funds can be raised for 3 different charity organisations who aid those who suffer the devastating effects of extreme poverty, violence, slavery, natural disasters and those who, unlike us, have no access to clean water, food, sanitation, doctors or dentists, education or the life in peace that we have.

As a retired teacher, I’m aware of the huge contribution that a walk like this can offer to students’ education across the curriculum: Language, Literature, Foreign Languages, Communication, Maths, Geography (Physical, Political and Economic), Science, the Natural World, History, Music, Art, Ethics and Moral Values, Physical Education and Health, Interculturality,  Politics, Economics, Psychology, the applications are very wide-ranging. 

In the Education Resources section, you will be able to find ready-made adaptable resources (I’m a teacher, I understand the meaning of “no time”) plus ideas for how to make use of this experience, that are applicable and/or adaptable to all key stages.

In addition, I’m also aware of how a real journey like this can be a source of motivation in studies that do not overtly appear to have an application and foster grit and perseverance. I walk for a purpose that will change my own and others’ lives and I won’t give up unless I face impossible odds. They also (like me) study for a purpose.